A large oak tree stands tall, looking healthy and strong. Little birdies come along and settle on its branches, whilst other birds and animals feed off its rich food source; acorn. People sit under the tree as its branches reach high and wide providing shade from the sunshine, the admirer however does not realise what is going on underneath below the surface and underground within its roots. The roots of the tree have become diseased, unless treated or if the tree does not fight back, the tree will suffer, eventually the problem below the surface will manifest above ground. 

Much like the large oak tree, we also fester with deep rooted issues inside us, but our onlookers, our friends, family, colleagues and even ourselves many a time may not always be aware of what’s going on internally. 

We manifest our emotions through the trials that we have had in life, some huge events that take place in our lives which go against the nature of our souls, the core of who we are,...

Keeping up our Ibaadah that we implemented during the blessed month of Ramadhan is just not realistic. Ramadhan is the month of ease, we do way more in that month than we do any other time of the year in the way of actions like Qur’an recitation, extra prayers, listening to lectures and attending the Masjid. Guilt can creep in when we start to let go of our good routines we established in Ramadhan, we can still feel the strong spiritual connection, however even that is dwindling away…how can we keep a hold of this? 

During Ramadhan we change our behaviours towards our daily distractions, we switch off Netflix or reduce our watching dramatically, social media reduced, connecting with others reduced especially that gossipy friend or relative, we avoid them even more than usual. It’s so easy to engulf ourselves into the spiritual realm as we shift our focus to our Devine Connection, and we have a wonderful Ramadhan creating good habits throughout the month....

Our sins and our mistakes can really weigh us down, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We carry these around every-where, and at times in relationships that we feel we’ve let others down, our motivation for pursuing them can be guilt driven, or we’ve committed the mistakes which we feel we're not worthy of forgiveness. This mindset even makes us feel that we shouldn’t do just the basic in fulfilling our duties to Allah SWT because we are not good enough. There are numerous things that can curb our growth and hold us back, like an anchor to a ship! 

Well-meaning comments from others such as ‘it can happen to anyone, you’re only human’ doesn’t quite cut it…as much as they help us to try and move forward, and we try to let go of the past, it’s easier said than done…in fact we try to numb the guilt or the shame that we may feel and overcome by worthlessness.

What if we could just go on and forgive ourselves for...

Awe (noun) – a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.

We all have experienced moments of awe, when you see or feel something which creates a feeling of overwhelm mixed with excitement and surprise all in the one moment. Physiologically your eyes may water, you feel goosebumps and your jaw drops. Whether these moments happen at the tops of mountains, whilst peeling some pomegranate or deep reflection through Qur’anic verses, awe moments are remembered and can at times be life changing. 

Even when we are feeling low, moments like these can be a pickup, and create a shift in your mood.  Awe moments can create shifts as discovered in recent scientific analysis we understand that these awe moments actually have a deeper intercellular movement going on which is good for our health, ‘awe experiences may bring with them a host of physiological, psychological and social effect, for example studies have found that feelings of awe...

 What defines you?

Is it the car that you drive, the clothes that you wear, the location that you stay? Let's strip that back…Is it your marital status? How many children you have, or who your parents are? Let’s strip that back too.

At times these labels and identities can take us away from the core of who we are, stripping back, without our environmental factors can help us identify how we see ourselves – not as how others see us.

Through this process we may become critical with mistakes that we’ve made, our visual flaws and limitations that we have, our negative self-talk kicks in also known as limiting beliefs.  Messages that we say to ourselves ‘I’ve struggled all my life', or ‘I can’t get anything right’ or ‘I’m worthless’ sabotage our growth, these mental scars last far longer than physical scars. We continue to kick ourselves until we're down.  These limiting beliefs become our identity...

The new buzzwords in healing are Mindful Meditation. Everyone is talking about this and reaping the benefits!

But Mindful Meditation requires free time……what do you do when you have free time?
Do you pick up your phone and start scrolling, or turn on the TV, and listen to a podcast – although this can help switch off from daily stressors – what is even better for your health is Silence and Solitude which can also be labelled as Mindful Meditation.

Silence can bring higher consciousness to intuition, a greater sense of calm, listening to that voice within, what’s it saying? Are you ready to listen? Connecting to your deeper self to grow! These moments of Mindful Meditation give clarity help to make big decisions, stimulate brain growth and relieve tension which helps to feel more relaxed generally.

Science shows that silence itself can rewire the brain to make you more intelligent! One of the most amazing facts I’ve learnt, Studies show that after...

"This book is a small hidden doorway to the secret garden of our own true happiness and the prospect of an emotional life free of destructive tensions…"

Know Yourself

Alex Carberry

How do you know when a book is a real gem?

Its beauty, knowledge, connection to your innate qualities radiate spiritually and physically.

As a mother, simply when your child says "can I read that book?"

This is one of those books.

Taken from Sufi traditions, the wisdom of Sufi masters put in plain and simple, easy to read. I devoured it in one short sitting.

I remember years ago, asking a friend, "If you were a season, which one would you be and why?" I knew my answer. 

This book confirmed it as I sniggered and gasped throughout when I recognized myself, my children, my friends, and even my colleague's personality type or temperament. 

Open your eyes to what you subconsciously know about yourself and others.

'Know yourself' helps you to discover your (and others) true nature, to find...